WEBVTT OFWEEKS.THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH DANGERDOES THAT POSE TO YOU.MOST OF THE RADARS AROUND THECOUNTRY WERE INSTALLED IN THEEARLY TO MID 1990'S SO THEY'REPRETTY MUCH STARTING TO APPROACHTHE END OF THEIR LIFE CYCLEWHERE FAILURES COULD BE EXPECT, SO THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM HASALREADY OCCURRED AT FIVE OTHERRADARS.COURTIS: METEOROLOGISTS HERE ATTHE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INWILMINGTON WILL HAVE THEIR HANDSFULL PULLING TOGETHER DATA THATTHEIR RADAR WOULD NORMALLYANALYZE.HAVING IT GO BLACK FOR TWO WEEKSDOES CREATE A TECHNOLOGICALOBSTACLE.>> YOU NEVER WANT TO TAKE THERADAR DOWN FOR A PROLONGEDPERIOD OF TIME BUT YOU HAVE TOUNDERSTAND THERE ARE MAJCOMPONENTS THAT HAVE TO BEREPLACED.IF I WAS KING FOR THE DAY I'DLIKE TO PICK A TWO WEEK PERIODWHERE I KNEW WE WEREN'T GOING GET ANY RAIN, BUT THIS IS OHIO.COURTIS: BUT CHECK OUT THESYSTEM IN PLACE, THERE ARE OTHERRADARS AROUND THE REGION THATCAN HELP METEROLOGIST HEREPREDICT A STORM'S PATH.>> WHEN THE NATIONAL WEATHERSERVICE BUILT THE RADAR NETWORKINTO THE SYSTEM SO WE CAN USETHE INDIANAPOLIS RADAR THELOUISVILLE RADAR, ANOTHER ONEDOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF KENTUCKY, CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA,PITTSBURGH CLEVELAND, AND WECAN OVER LOOK OUR AREA PRETTYGOOD NOW, AS GOOD AS OUR OWNRADAR.COURTIS: THE RADAR WAS SCHEDULEDFOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ANDUPGRADE, AN INSPECTION FOUND AHUGE PROBLEM, THE MAIN GEAR THATROTATES THE SATELLITE DISH WASIMMINENT FOR FAILURE.WE KNOW WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALOT MORE INFORMATION WE'LL BESTAFFED AND READY TO HANDKE -- HANDLE IT.

The National Weather Service’s radar in Wilmington, Ohio, will be out of service for the next two weeks.

Kenneth Haydu, the National Weather Service meteorologist in charge, said most of the radars around the country were installed in the early to mid-1990s and are approaching the end of their life cycle.

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He said failures could be expected and the same problem being experienced in Wilmington has already occurred at five other radars around the country.

“You never want to take the radar down for a prolonged period of time but you have to understand there are major components that have to be replaced,” Haydu said.

There are several other regional radars that will still scan the skies and provide coverage for portions of the local region.

The radar in Wilmington was scheduled for routine maintenance and an upgrade. An inspection this week showed the main gear, which rotates the satellite dish, was imminent for failure.